John Wendell Skinner (1914 - 2004): Our Family History

1914 - 2004 (90 years) Has 2 ancestors and 4 descendants in this family tree.

Personal Information | Notes | Event Map | All | PDF

Name	John Wendell Skinner
Birth	3 May 1914	Soda Springs, Caribou, Idaho, United States
Gender	Male
Initiatory (LDS)	14 Nov 1935	SLAKE
FamilySearch ID	KWC6-DBT
Death	7 Jun 2004	Lehi, Utah, Utah, United States
Burial	11 Jun 2004	Lehi City Cemetery, Utah, Utah, United States
Headstones	Submit Headstone Photo
Headstones	Submit Headstone Photo
Person ID	I124229	mytree
Last Modified	25 Feb 2024

Father	John Jensen Skinner, b. 24 Jul 1887, Ovid, Bear Lake, Idaho, United States d. 20 Jul 1968, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, United States (Age 80 years)
Mother	Elsie Irene Horsley, b. 31 Aug 1888, Soda Springs, Caribou, Idaho, United States d. 22 Nov 1942, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States (Age 54 years)
Marriage	4 Jun 1913	Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States
Family ID	F35014	Group Sheet \| Family Chart

Family 1 Delia Annette Street, b. 24 Jun 1914, Lehi, Utah, Utah, United States d. 27 Sep 1992 (Age 78 years)

Marriage 17 Sep 1934 Lehi, Utah, Utah, United States

Children

	1. Colleen Skinner, b. 5 Jul 1935, Lehi, Utah, Utah, United States d. 10 Oct 1962, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States (Age 27 years)
	2. Wendell Blaine Skinner, b. 1 Jul 1939, Lehi, Utah, Utah, United States d. 21 Nov 1966 (Age 27 years)
	3. Shirley Ann Skinner, b. 22 Feb 1942, Lehi, Utah, Utah, United States d. 20 Nov 1966 (Age 24 years)
	4. Brent John Skinner, b. 21 Dec 1945, Lehi, Utah, Utah, United States d. 9 Jun 2010, Centerville, Davis, Utah, United States (Age 64 years)

Family ID F35013 Group Sheet | Family Chart

Last Modified 6 Mar 2025

Family 2	Colleen Stephensen, b. 30 Aug 1926, Riverton, Salt Lake, Utah, United States d. 12 Jan 2008, Lehi, Utah, Utah, United States (Age 81 years)
Marriage	19 May 1993	South Jordan, Salt Lake, Utah, United States
Family ID	F8677	Group Sheet \| Family Chart
Last Modified	6 Mar 2025

Event Map

	Birth - 3 May 1914 - Soda Springs, Caribou, Idaho, United States
	Marriage - 17 Sep 1934 - Lehi, Utah, Utah, United States
	Initiatory (LDS) - 14 Nov 1935 - SLAKE
	Marriage - 19 May 1993 - South Jordan, Salt Lake, Utah, United States
	Death - 7 Jun 2004 - Lehi, Utah, Utah, United States
	Burial - 11 Jun 2004 - Lehi City Cemetery, Utah, Utah, United States

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Notes

I was born May 3, 1914 at Soda Springs, Idaho. I was the firstborn of e i ght children, four boys and four girls. We were nurtured by a most wor th y father and mother, active and faithful in the Lord's true church an d ev er striving to keep his commandments. My early recollections are o f livi ng on the dry farm north of Soda Springs. There, father grew dr y grain a nd also ran a her of milk cows These were hard times and mone y was scarc e. In the spring when the sheep were lambing we would visi t the herds an d pick up the bum lambs, these were lambs, which were orph ans or could no t be fed by their mothers. We would feed them with bottl e and nipple unt il we could teach them to drink. We would usually get a bout 30 or 40 eac h year and then market them in the fall. This was anot her source of inco me. I remember going out to gather mushrooms afte r a rainstorm; they wer e often as large as four inches in diameter and s ilky-white on top. The y were generally found in sagebrush areas, quit e plentiful and we would g et them by the burlap sackful. They were deli cious cooked in homemade bu tter; I can almost taste them as I remember . Father also got some roadw ork in the country; mostly horses, scrapper s, and wagons built roads in t hose days. No heavy equipment as we use d today. Father soon decided t o leave the dry farm and to seek better o pportunities.
It was about this time that I started school, living with my grandfath e r and grandmother in Soda Springs. The rest of the family, living at G re y Lake where there were no schools. Father was not engaged in runni n g a mail route from Grey Lakes to Henry and back. It had to be done b y h orse and sleigh and when the spring entered, by boat, one horse pulli ng t he boat. I spent two winters in Soda with my grandparents. I atten ded C entral High about 6 or 8 miles south of Thatcher where I graduate d from h igh school. Shortly after we moved to Thatcher I was privilege d to hav e a B flat alto saxophone, which I finally learned to play, enjo ying ver y much, playing in the high school and doing some solo work, m y mother ac companying me on the piano. I also played football at Centra l High, whic h I enjoyed.
I was fourteen years old when I started mechanical work, repairing far m m achinery and automobiles. My father encouraged me all the time and t houg ht I could do anything. I have followed this vocation through the y ear s and have enjoyed much success in this field.
In the fall of 1932 I went to school at the University of Idaho, majori n g in mechanical engineering. I was able to attend two semesters finish in g in the spring of 1933. Later that summer, we moved to Lehi, and tha t e nded my formal education.
We always had a herd of 6 milk cows which was our major way of making mo n ey. We decided to ship them by rail to Lehi, but could not afford to s hi p the horses. It was decided that I would ride saddle horse and driv e th e others, a distance of 225 miles. It required the better part of f our d ays. I would go so far and then make arrangements along the way fo r some one to feed the horses and put me up for the night. The people we re mos t generous and in some cases, would not even accept pay for thei r courtes y. This was an interesting experience and one that I will neve r forget.
There were lots of pretty girls in Lehi, after courting Delia Street f o r six months we were finally married September 1934. We had a most rew ar ding marriage and a family of eight children.
After Joyce was born, I was called on a mission to California and left J a nuary 1938 for Brawley where I spent the first four months of my missio n . I then spent some two months at Beaumont at which time Delia joine d m e and we were transferred to San Jacinto. We labored there togethe r fo r six months. Delia was then released to go home and gave birth t o our f irst boy, Wendell Blaine. While Delia was in the mission field m y parent s cared for our children for which we were most grateful. Whil e in San J acinto we rented an apartment from a Seventh Day Adventist cou ple. The y were very good people and we got along well, I helped them ca re for the ir garden and they helped us with food. They tried very har d to conver t us and had the elders of their church come over and invite d us to hea r them. I learned much about their church which only strengt hened my tes timony. It is most satisfying to be affiliated with the tru e church an d to know that all other movements are man-made and have noth ing to offer . My testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel and the re storation i s solid and unwavering. I fear not the ideas of men knowin g that if the y do not harmonize with gospel truths, they must eventuall y come to naugh t.
Some would question my going on a mission after being married and havi n g two children, leaving my wife for 6 months and then serving another y ea r after she was released to come home. I have no regrets in this are a an d have ever been grateful that I was given the courage to do the sam e. O ur Heavenly Father has been very good to me and I will ever be inde bted t o Him for His many blessings.
It had been my privilege to be active in the church all of my life, whi c h brings me great joy and happiness. I know that the gospel is true a n d that it should have our first and total commitment no matter how har d w e try to live it we can never repay our Heavenly Father and our elde r bro ther, Jesus Christ for their goodness and sacrifice in our behalf.
My blessings and joys are great; I have also had some sorrow and disappo i ntment in my life. The gospel has brought comfort and joy unspeakabl e i n facing these situations.
Our eldest daughter Colleen, who had been in and out of the LDS Hospit a l for six months, died October 10, 1962 after giving birth to her thir d c hild. Her suffering was extreme and how she stood can only be becaus e he r great faith. I think we made her suffer too long not wanting to s ee he r go. However, after giving her a blessing pleading with the Lor d that H is will be done and not wanting her to suffer longer she passe d within th e hour. In the fall of '66, a bad wreck at the point of th e mountain too k Blaine, our eldest son, Todd a grandson, Shirley, a daug hter, and her h usband, Henry Havilla.
I am most grateful that they were good and worthy children married in t h e temple. I fully expect that at some future day we shall all be unit e d as one great family, striving to be fully worthy of our Heavenly Fath er 's wondrous blessing that as an eternal family to live in his presence .
It has been my privilege to be blessed with a choice and loving companio n . Through the years we have rejoiced in each other and faced our joy s an d sorrows together. Our Heavenly Father has been good to us and w e lov e and appreciate him and hope to be worthy to regain his presence a nd fee l comfortable there.